Love Language
by RoamingRoveon
Summary: Some people have a hard time talking about their feelings. Agent 3 is one of those people. When she starts spending more time with the Squid Sisters, Agent 3 finds it harder and harder to hide her emotions, until Marie confronts her and she has no choice but to come clean. Why does fate have to choose RIGHT THEN to come and turn her whole world upside down?
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **Well, hello there, . It's been a long time huh?

In the interest of full disclosure, this story was supposed to be a oneshot. Nearly 10 chapters later, I learned that dream was completely ridiculous.

Please enjoy! -Rove

**Chapter 1**

When she accepted a position in the New Squidbeak Splatoon and was gifted the moniker of Agent 3, Jinx could remember being over the moon. For a lot of reasons. Sure, she was nervous to fight the Octarian menace, and Captain Cuttlefish seemed a bit… off-kilter, but the pros far outweighed the cons in the long run.

With her trusty Hero Shot, Jinx barbecued hundreds of Octo troops with the ferocity of an inkling scorned, saving every zapfish and painting each outpost as a reminder of her victories. And she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Sure, turf wars were fun, but inklings always respawned and there was no real threat to it - here, in the belly of the beast, there was a thrill that came along with the threat of real danger. Of an enemy that was out for blood, that she could drown in the bright purple of her ink that wouldn't come back for more.

She'd be lying if she said working alongside the Captain, along with the elusive Agents 1 and 2 helping her out over the radio, hadn't all been life-changing. She went from a nobody, just one inkling in the Plaza that no one looked twice at, to doing something with herself. To making a difference, to saving Inkopolis! There was no downside to it all!

But what really tipped the scales for her was the moment she found herself staring down the leader of the show - DJ Octavio - and when it seemed like she may have finally met her match, her fellow agents finally revealed themselves. And it was none other than the Squid Sisters - the very idols she'd been watching on the news every morning. When Callie and Marie jumped into the battle with their Calamari Inkantation, jamming Octavio's radio frequency and giving Jinx the chance to shoot down the annoying Octo once and for all, exhilaration flooded her well past the end of the battle. That song had power that everyone recognized, and no one questioned. She was not immune to the magic.

In the aftermath, she sat with the Squid Sisters, licking her wounds and talking about the whole ordeal with the tune still humming in her heart.

Callie was a good time. Jinx could remember swapping jabs with her, telling ridiculous stories and challenging one another for who had the weirdest ones. She was easy to talk to, she kept the team's spirits up even before they met in person. Marie...seemed uninterested. At first. She contributed little to the conversation and responded more to Callie than Jinx, leaning against the old shack once they made it back to home base. She mostly observed her cousin and Agent 3 interact like it was either amusing or boring. Jinx just couldn't tell which was true.

She watched the other inkling as carefully as she could without getting caught, waiting for any little nuance to Marie's expression so she could figure it out. There was no giveaway, no hint of a crack in the mask of indifference. She smiled, but it was polite and nothing further. It only made her want to learn more.

After things calmed down, at least as far as Octo Valley was concerned, Jinx found herself spending more and more time with the Squid Sisters. She had grown so used to having them in her ears that the silence started to make her feel lonely. In their downtime, she hung around their apartment - lounging on the couch watching movies, playing childish games like truth or dare.

Getting to know Marie proved a challenge at first, but Jinx was persistent and she held her ground. She learned to read between the lines, learned how to 'translate' what would seem like off-handed comments to anyone else. Body language, sideways glances, all of it slowly became easier to read as the months passed by. And the more she learned, the more Jinx was drawn to the less expressive Squid Sister.

One particularly memorable evening during their unscheduled slumber party, Callie dug out a ridiculously old board game she'd gotten from her friend at the Shellendorf Institute, a relic he'd found at a dig site. The old plastic arrow meant to spin around was cracked and the metal rusted, so it didn't budge. Still, all the fake jewelry inside was intact aside from a few chips in the paint, and Jinx couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of giggles as she placed the gaudy rings onto her fingers and draped fake pearls around Callie's neck.

All the while, Marie was sat gracefully between the two of them, always watching and passing idle comments with that same little smile on her face. "I think I've seen Pearl wear that exact same ring," she mused, to which Callie laughed so hard she snorted. She was always more open with her 'sister' around.

"Oh my cod, I totally have! She's definitely hard to miss in a crowd with all that bling," there was no malice in the statement. Both of them really liked the up and coming Off the Hook, supporting their musical endeavors as a pair who had been in their shoes once upon a time.

When Jinx looked up to join the conversation, paint-chipped crown settled lopsided on top of her head, her brown eyes locked with Marie's stunning amber for the first time since Octo Valley. And for just a moment, the sound of Callie's laughter and the movie playing in the background both disappeared into silence. The inkling felt her grin easing slowly back, her mouth falling open just a bit as she just. Stared. It wasn't the first time she'd stared at Marie, not by a long shot, but it was absolutely the first time Marie was staring back at her. Fully aware of the situation at hand.

It was also not the first time Jinx found herself thinking how beautiful Marie was. Tentacles let loose for a change and flowing down her back, dressed down in a crisp white tee and leggings, a comfortable looking green hoodie draped over her shoulders. She wore it on missions occasionally, so it was familiar to Jinx, and on more than one occasion she'd found herself desperately wishing she could try it on. Try it on, bury her nose into the fabric, and inhale as deeply as she could. So she could memorize the scent of Marie's perfume.

Though she had no idea why she wanted that knowledge so badly, it made her stomach flip.

"Something on your mind, Agent Three?"

With the silence broken, Jinx shook her head a tiny bit, jostling the crown. She swallowed hard, her throat drier than a pre-spawn turf war, and became very suddenly aware of Callie prodding her shoulder insistently. "N-no! Nothing! Just, uh. You mentioned Pearl?" Change the subject, _change the subject_ \- "From Off the Hook, right?"

Marie never took her eyes away from her fellow NSS agent. "Yeah, the latest on the music scene over in Inkopolis Square. We saw them a couple of weeks ago, they performed with us."

"Man, you totally zoned out there!" Callie laughed beside her, leaning back and peeling the fake jewelry off her fingers one by one. "You feeling okay, Jinx?"

Her face flushed a deep purple, the addressed inkling cleared her throat. "Can we watch something else?" She wasn't paying attention to the movie, anyway.

**Notes: **We've got a long way to go, squiddos. Stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **The first few chapters are pretty short, so I figured I'd upload the second one while it's still fresh. I also have no idea if people still do this? But Splatoon and all related characters are Nintendo property, I'm just borrowing them.

Enjoy! -_Rove_

**Chapter Two**

That night was the first time Jinx thought she saw something in Marie's eyes that hadn't been there before. Could she dare to call it curiosity? Interest, even? She would admit to a daydream or two with the less exuberant Squid Sister as the star of the show, but she'd resigned herself to the fact that she didn't have a chance from the first time they met in person. How could she? There was an impossible glass ceiling to break through and she was...too short.

After that night, something in the tides shifted. Jinx all but moved in with Callie and Marie over the next couple of months, the only technicality being a few belongings still taking up residence in her old studio apartment. She watched the place when the Squid Sisters spent some time away for shows and the like, kept it tidy and definitely didn't ever sleep in Marie's bed when they weren't around.

…

She couldn't help it. It was that smell thing again, there was just something about it that warmed her insides and made her feel so alive. The only thing she could compare it to was the rush she got during life-threatening missions in Octo Valley, and she'd been without that feeling for months by that point. She nested in the blankets, making a complete mess of the sheets and curling herself around one of the pillows. Surrounding herself completely with the scent that still clung to them.

Lying there in that room, mind in a cloudy haze of comfort, Jinx thought maybe she needed to have a chat with Marie about this… sooner rather than later. Because now, things were bordering on dangerous. She was lucky she got up and made the bed before Callie and Marie came home, ignoring the fact that it was a close call. So close, in fact, that she was just closing the bedroom door and vaulting herself over the back of the couch to drop onto the seat when the keys hit the lock. She tried to look casual, but her beanie was crooked and her leg was still half-slung over the back of the couch.

"Hey guys!" Jinx called out a little too loudly as the pair walked in, chatting excitedly with each other. "Good show?"

"Amazing!" Callie gushed, tentacles swinging with her as she twirled around. "Oh man, Jinx, you should have seen the stadium - I don't think we've ever had a turnout that good!"

Marie beamed, that rare smile that lit up her whole face and turned the younger inkling's insides to jelly. "I'm glad we're getting to do more performances with Off the Hook. They're going places," she said, tossing her keys onto the coffee table and peeling her white gloves off. "Any wild parties while we were gone, Agent 3?"

Jinx laughed and hoped it didn't sound nervous. "Oh yeah, Spike came over and we threw a huge rager. Everyone was invited. It was great," she joked, increasingly aware of how breathless she sounded with each word. She needed to abort mission, and quickly. "Uh, speaking of parties, it sounds like a good show is in need of a celebratory dinner! I'm gonna run down to Crusty Sean's, I'll be back in a few!"

Without waiting for an answer, she rolled off the couch and power-walked out the door, followed by the bewildered stares of the Squid Sisters.

"Did she seem...agitated to you?" Callie's brow furrowed with concern as she sat down to take off her boots.

Marie shrugged. "I'm not sure. She's been like that lately, did you notice?"

"I guess not… She must have something on her mind."

Jinx took a walk to clear her head, nearly power-walking around the Plaza in the chilly midnight air. With each breath, the warmth clouding her mind dissipated, leaving one thought screaming at her over and over again: What was she thinking?! What would she have done if she'd been caught? How was she supposed to explain that she was growing more and more obsessed with the pop singer when the most they'd done was exchange glances and banter over coffee?

What was she meant to say about a feeling she could barely get a grasp on? One she had no word for?

An hour passed without her even realizing it. Her phone buzzing in her pocket snapped her out of the inner turmoil, and when she looked at the time she could have kicked herself. She promised to come back with food, but Sean would have closed up shop a long time ago - especially without a splatfest to keep everyone up all night. As it was, the Plaza was a ghost town.

[callie] hey 3 where u at?

[callie] i crave that deep fried goodness :( marie ate all my snacks.

Well...crap.

[jinx] sry cal i lost track of time

[jinx] sean's closed ;( can i make it up to u in the morning?

[callie] SIGH… ya i guess so!

[callie] something on ur mind? u've been super skittish lately

[jinx] nah i'm good!

[jinx] just needed some fresh air, be back in a min!

Pocketing the phone, Jinx took one more deep breath before turning on her heel and trekking back to the apartment.

…

**Notes: **Time to face the music, Jinx.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: **Moving right along with this next chapter!

I spilled tea on my keyboard. A lot of tea. Not metaphorical tea. I'm glad it still works despite some relative stickiness. -_Rove_

**Chapter 3**

It was almost two in the morning when Jinx finally made it back, dragging her feet and hoping that her friends would have gone to bed by the time she got in. That was stupid, she realized; inklings were known for staying up late and sleeping in, and the life of a pop idol probably kept them up even later than normal. Callie was lounging in her pajamas on the couch when Jinx opened the door, munching on some kelp chips, and she scooted over to make room automatically.

Feeling almost completely calm at last, and with Marie nowhere in sight, Jinx took her up on the offer and flopped down beside her. She almost crushed the bag of chips when she laid down, dropping her head into Callie's lap and sighing with much more force than was probably necessary. She was just so frustrated with herself.

"Y'know you were gone for like… an hour and a half," Callie pointed out, her tone light and teasing. Moving her snack just enough to avoid destruction, the older inkling rested a palm on her friend's forehead.

Jinx closed her eyes and nudged up into the gentle touch, and the only sound for a few minutes was the soft tap of Callie's thumb against her phone screen. Scrolling Squidder for thoughts on the show, probably - but that was okay with the younger inkling. She didn't really want to trouble her friend with what was on her mind, anyway.

"Marie said something about wanting to talk to you," Callie said at last, smooth and nonchalant like she was talking about the weather. For her obviously it wasn't a big deal. But Jinx tensed considerably, and Callie noticed. "What's up with you, huh? You've been so weird around her lately."

Groaning loudly, the purple-tentacled inkling rolled onto her side and pressed her face against her friend's abdomen. A very muffled "I don't want to talk about it" came from somewhere near Callie's stomach and she laughed, giving her shoulder a pat or two.

"Well, whatever it is, I think you should take it up with her,"

Oh, if only she knew.

"She's not really the kind of person who likes to play around. Just talk to her, you know? She might surprise you." It was half comforting, but Jinx could tell the other half was scolding her. And she couldn't help but think she deserved it, for not being able to work out her garbage.

She wondered for a second (with abject horror) if Marie could tell her bed had been slept in. Then she decided she didn't want to consider that scenario, and kept her face firmly planted in Callie's shirt. Maybe if she didn't respond, she wouldn't have to move, and it almost seemed like that was acceptable until a hand squeezed her shoulder.

"I'm gonna head to bed - it's been a long weekend," Callie gave another nudge, until Jinx scooted away from her and reluctantly sat up. She went through the motions, folding up the open bag of chips, bringing it back into the kitchen and putting them away, and paused in her doorway. "Marie's in her room. I think she's still awake."

The door closed behind her and Jinx was left alone.

It was probably too much to hope that Marie had gone to bed.

Jinx could hear the rapid beating of all three hearts thundering in her ears, and as ridiculous as it sounded time seemed to slow down as she dragged her feet toward the door. It was open just a crack, letting a sliver of dim light filter out from the bedroom. And all she could think was this was it. It was now or never. Any musing on what she would say or what she would do was over - there was only action.

Imagining this was what an Octotrooper felt like staring down the barrel of her Hero Shot, Jinx rapped on the door with shaky knuckles before easing it open just far enough to poke her head around the edge.

At least one heart lodged in her throat at the sight.

Marie sat perched at the edge of her bed, amber eyes half-lidded and fixed thoughtfully down at the neat covers where her palm rested. Clad in a silky silver yukata. Pale tentacles tipped with their gradient green remained tied in the familiar bow-like fashion - she still hadn't taken them down, and it always made her seem like she was presenting herself as a gift that no one was privileged enough to open.

Jinx felt her body shifting into fight or flight mode very quickly, pondering her odds of getting out of here without being noticed. A last minute attempt to run away from the strange cacophony of things she was feeling.

"Agent Three," Marie's voice brought her thoughts to a screeching halt, catching her mid-turn like she was about to bolt.

"Uh," she said, very intelligently. "Sorry. It's late. Aren't you tired?" She was still standing in the doorway, terrified that once she crossed the threshold there would be nothing else keeping her from her fate.

Brown eyes met with Marie's amused half-smile, one Jinx was well acquainted with, and the singer patted the bed beside her. "I don't want to have to drag you in here, Three."

They probably both knew she wouldn't have to.

"Close the door behind you, please."

Jinx slipped into the room at last, doing as she was told. The latch slid shut with a gentle click, a sound that rang in her ears along with every step she took across the soft carpet to the bed. Sitting poised to get back up at the drop of a hat, the tense inkling's gaze jumped around the room, not really able to focus on any one thing. Her fingers picked at the edge of her shirt. She could feel Marie's gaze in the side of her head.

This was awful. How did anyone deal with this kind of thing?

Marie was the first to speak when it became clear that Jinx wasn't going to. "You made my bed," she pointed out, her voice calm. Betraying nothing.

Jinx swallowed hard. "Mhmm," she managed, not trusting herself to form words.

"You didn't touch Callie's?"

"I did," Jinx lied. Wow, that lamp was really interesting, was that Himalayan pink salt? Where did Marie even get that?

"Jinx," despite the fact that this was clearly an interrogation, Marie's tone remained even and collected. "You're a really bad liar."

The younger inkling's head jerked toward her friend, cheeks flushed a dark purple that only spread when she saw the amusement in Marie's eyes. Her chest tightened and she was sure she would implode any second, nothing more than a splatter of ink on the comforter.

"...Yeah," she squeaked.

…

**Notes: **Yeah I think I can draw out this torture for one more chapter. Don't you worry, the story doesn't end when the truth comes out. We've got a whole lot of other junk to think about.~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes: **In which Agent 3 struggles, but Marie's had enough of her garbage.

Here's hoping it goes well! _-Rove_

**Chapter 4**

For the fact that she was carrying the conversation on her own, Marie didn't seem to mind. If she did, she certainly wasn't sharing. "I get the feeling there's something you need to talk to me about," she said, leaving as minimal room for argument as possible. She was quite good at that. "Shall we hash it out, then?"

Jinx swallowed again, her tongue weighing thick and heavy. "N-no?" She tried lamely, knowing how weak it was even before the little snort of laughter and the raised eyebrow she got in return. She wasn't good at this. She didn't know how to talk to people. Generally, her weapon did the talking for her.

Except, she couldn't use force here.

"I-" Jinx clenched her jaw, frustration building while she tapped her toes against the floor. "Yeah. Probably." She had to force each syllable out, every second agonizing.

Marie was as patient as she was level-headed, sitting there with her hands folded on her lap just watching. Waiting.

Jinx took a deep breath, graduating from picking at her shirt to tracing patterns on the blanket. The very same one she'd shamelessly buried herself into a few hours earlier. Icy dread settled in the pit of her stomach at the dawning realization that Marie probably knew about that. Or had suspicions, at least.

"I don't know," she confessed at last, shoulders slumping. She never admitted defeat, but it seemed inevitable now. "I don't know what you want me to say, Marie." Inside, she was begging for mercy. Waiting for the girl beside her to say what she didn't know how to.

For just a second, Jinx could swear she caught a flicker in Marie's expression. A tiny fracture in her well-kept mask, a twitch of her brow into what was either confusion or frustration.

Marie frowned. "I'm getting mixed signals from you," she said at last, shaking her head. "For the last few weeks, you've been avoiding being alone with me. Now my sheets smell like you. So it's time to start talking."

Jinx winced at the extra push to an otherwise nonchalant tone, completely taken aback. "Are- are you _mad at me_?" Not that she'd blame her, what kind of crazy person just makes a blanket nest in a pop idol's bed? That was ridiculous.

"I'm certainly not _happy_ about the situation," Marie huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Tell me what you want. In no uncertain terms - I don't want to play games with you."

She didn't have an answer for that. Not a verbal one, anyway - Jinx opened and closed her mouth several times, grimaced, shook her head, flailed with her hands a bit ineffectively. "I don't-" She didn't know what to say! A fact that was making her more and more upset with herself by the second! "-I'm not- I'm not good with words, Marie, I'm. Please. You know that." Desperation lined her voice, her russet eyes _pleading_ for reprieve as she stared helplessly at the source of the problem.

What she was hoping was for Marie to relent.

What she was not _expecting_ was for Marie to move closer to her. The Yukata shifted across her shoulders like water, smooth and shimmering, as the older inkling sighed and reached out to Jinx.

A hand pressed against her shoulder and Jinx was horrified at how hard her hearts were pounding, it was doubtlessly a rhythm that Marie could feel, but didn't mention as she leaned closer. Even closer. Oh so slowly easing the nervous inkling back, until she was pressed flat against the blankets.

Jinx wondered if she would walk away from this encounter with third degree burns on her face, from how warm it was. "M-Marie-" She squeaked, as the other girl leaned over her.

Marie did not back off. She settled, one hand propped up onto the bed beside Jinx's head, the other still pressed into her collarbone. One knee resting between her knees, staring steadily and expectantly down into brown eyes above bright purple cheeks.

"Agent Three," she started, but thought better of it. "...Jinx. I enjoy your company. Would it be safe to assume that's a mutual feeling?"

This close, her voice was quieter, but there was an insistence to it that sent a shiver down Jinx's spine. She wanted to make a comment about how close together they were, or how good Marie smelled, because oh goodness. It was one thing to pick up someone's scent leftover on their bed sheets, but a whole other sensation being so near to the source. All she wanted was to lean up and press her face directly into the other girl's neck, and inhale.

"...Yeah," she managed weakly, when an awkward enough stretch of time had passed.

"So what are you going to do about it, then?"

Was Marie… challenging her? She wasn't sure what the right answer was. All she knew was the proximity, the warmth, the building desperation, and the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about how inviting the crook of Marie's neck looked.

The very first time Jinx had stepped foot into Octo Valley, adrenaline had morphed into a kind of courage that she'd never known before. One that helped her push through the first wave of octoslobs and toward a victory that sparked the rest of her triumphs. In those moments, she truly felt like she could accomplish anything - and she did. She made a name for herself, proved her strength to the entire Octarian race, proved she wasn't someone to be messed with.

Pinned underneath Marie in her bedroom months later, it was like her first day all over again. What had she done to take that first leap…?

She took a deep breath, curled her fingers into the sheets for leverage, and pushed herself up the minimal distance between them to bury her face against warm, pale skin. She could hear the soft gasp against her ear, followed by a gentle breathy laugh, and she breathed in as deeply as she could through her nose.

Marie smelled like nothing she'd ever experienced before - something soft and floral, rose maybe? Mixed with the tiniest hint of sharp, earthen scents. It reminded her of warmth and comfort. Home. A home she'd never been to, one unlike the place where she grew up but similar to anywhere she'd ever felt safe. It consumed all of her senses immediately, every tense muscle melting effortlessly as she breathed it in.

Just one more, she told herself, as her nerve endings lit up.

"Jinx…"

There it was, as her nose brushed against soft skin and she felt that rush of life flowing through her at last.

"_Jinx_."

...Oh. There was a person on the other end of this, wasn't there? Pressure between her shoulder blades brought her back from her little 'vacation' and she reluctantly pulled away, not drawing too far. Sheepishly, she smiled at Marie.

"Enjoying yourself?" The Squid Sister didn't look annoyed, though. Amused, definitely, and something else that Jinx wasn't quite sure of. Something soft, accompanied by a smile that turned her insides to jelly.

"...You smell nice," she admitted, the first intelligent thing she'd said since she stepped foot in the room. Then, clearing her throat, she tried again. "I'm not really-"

"-Good with words," Marie finished for her, seeming to finally understand what she meant by it. A pause, and then a thoughtful hum. "You keep saying that… but I've seen you communicate just fine."

Before Jinx could apologize, something she never expected came out of Marie's mouth.

"How do _you_ 'say' what's on your mind, Agent Three?" No mocking tone. No ulterior motive. Nothing but genuine curiosity, a desire to know.

Between that tone of complete acceptance and the burning need to answer the question, Jinx took another bold step and took Marie's face in her palms. Leaning in and kissing her with no more bravado. It wasn't graceful or perfect or any of the words she associated with the idol, but as far as she could tell it said everything she needed it to.

_You make me feel alive. All I want to do is be around you, be with you, know you. _

The younger inkling pulled away after just a moment, her insides fluttering with either panic or excitement and she didn't know which was stronger. Gorgeous amber eyes just stared at her in surprise, until it started to sink in that she had just kissed Marie. Then the flutters started to wilt into nausea. She just got so carried away, she was too excited, she didn't know what she was doing - and Marie asked!

"...Well. That's unorthodox."

"I'msorryMarieIdidn'tmeanto-"

Marie was faster.

Before Jinx knew what was happening, the other girl's lips were pressed against hers once more, soft but insistent. Like she was trying to send a message back. She could read affirmation in it that almost made her cry with relief, as the pressure that had been building up in her heart crumbled away and she kissed back. Her arms draped over Marie's shoulders, fingers toying with the silky fabric of her yukata, and she felt the hand on her shoulder slip to her back and pull her in just a bit closer.

Her head was spinning when she broke away to catch her breath.

Through the buzzing that seemed to fill the space between them, Marie's expertly-crafted mask had finally broken away to allow a stunning smile through. "I see," she hummed, leaning back and folding her legs beneath her as she settled again. "...Would you like to sleep with me tonight? Instead of on the couch? I can't imagine that's comfortable."

Truth be told, Jinx could sleep anywhere. She'd fallen asleep in the tightest corners of Octo Valley mid-mission, been roused from a pool of her own ink. But she was still a little shaky on what had just happened, on what she started , and if she took a step outside of the bedroom there was a good chance she could wake up and realize it was all a dream. Yes, it was better if she stayed here, and with an invitation, it would be rude to say no.

She was just beginning to nod enthusiastically when Marie spoke again-

"-I absolutely insist you take a shower first, though."

**Notes**:

"You remind me of Agent 3...if Agent 3 was two years older and practiced basic hygiene."

Marie, you should probably address that.

Shit's about to start getting real, hope y'all are prepared!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes: **This chapter is 100% self-indulgent. But is that not all fanfiction?

_-Rove_

**Chapter 5**

Callie was an early riser.

She couldn't help it. She'd always been up with the sun, no matter how late she stayed up the night before. While the apartment was quiet, she filled her time with little things - checking her social media and the news, filling the kettle and putting it on for tea, sitting at the kitchen island while it boiled. Equal parts tired and hyped, fueled by leftover adrenaline from the show that weekend, she listened intently for sounds of other life to stir.

The instant she heard the click of a door latch, Callie set her phone down on the counter beside her and folded her elbows atop it, leaning forward expectantly. Maybe she was too eager, but she was _dying _to get the scoop on how the night had played out.

Jinx rounded the corner, rubbing the heel of one hand against her eyelid and yawning wide. She'd slept ridiculously well, better than she could remember in ages, and it made her wonder if it was really as simple as curling up next to someone she cared about-

"So…how'd it go?"

Callie's voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. Jinx yelped in surprise, whirling around and clutching at her shirt where her hearts thudded erratically. The older girl giggled, pressing her fingers against her mouth and absolutely _beaming _from ear to ear.

"Holy carp, Callie," Jinx took a deep breath to steady herself, glancing back at the bedroom door to make sure it hadn't woken Marie. "H-how long have you been just… waiting?"

Callie waved a hand dismissively, scooting back to grab the kettle as it started whistling. She went about the motions of getting a couple of mugs ready for tea. "Oh, I'm always up this early. You're usually just passed out cold on the couch. Did you know you snore?"

Deep purple flooded Jinx's face.

"Anyway," the idol continued. "Want sugar today?"

Carefully, waiting for the interrogation she feared was coming, Jinx settled down on the other side of the island and tapped her fingertips against the counter. "Uh. Yeah, just a little."

Callie hummed to herself while she worked, a tune the other agent hadn't heard yet. Probably a work in progress, both of the Squid Sisters were always thinking up new jams. She poured, stirred, and turned back to set the mugs on the counter between them. Smiling all the while, amber eyes fixed back onto her friend.

"Soooo?" She tried again. "How did everything go?"

Jinx rapped her foot idly against the wood paneling. "Um," she said.

"Well clearly you said _something _right, or Marie did," Callie was leaning forward on the counter again, elbow propped up and cheek resting against her palm. "You slept in her room last night."

Well, she absolutely wanted to dissolve into the floor after that. Grabbing the collar of her hoodie - oh, necessary correction, it was _Marie's _hoodie. She grabbed the open collar, pulling both sides up over her mouth and groaned into it.

"Wejustslept," she insisted through the fabric, muffled and high-pitched. "Allwedidwassleep. Wesleptandcuddled." They played Twenty Questions too, but that wasn't important.

For half a second, Callie looked skeptical. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, tilting her head and studying what she could see of Jinx's face. "Hmmm," then again, it wasn't like she didn't believe it. Jinx wasn't the kind of person to lie. "Alright. Then let me give you some sage advice, at least?"

Slowly but surely, Jinx lowered the fabric from her face, smoothing it out and reaching for her cup of tea. The cuffs of the sleeves fell over the backs of her hands, leaving just the tips of her fingers exposed, and created a nice cushion between her skin and hot ceramic. "...Okay?"

She wasn't nervous, per se. Callie was one of her closest friends. Still, she knew that Callie's most important person was Marie, and there was the lingering fear that things were weird and shifty. Jinx tried not to keep her gaze averted.

Callie took a sip from her cup. "Using my incredible command over the mystical arts," she wiggled her fingertips a little, "I can tell that you're nervous."

It didn't take a psychic to figure that out. "I'm not exactly good at hiding that, Cal," she said quietly, starting to feel squirmy again. Was her torment never meant to end about this?

"Okay, okay, but here's the thing - you gotta shrug that off, girl!" Nudging her mug to the side a little, Callie reached across the table to take Jinx's hands reassuringly. "You really like Marie, right?"

Another dark flush colored Jinx's cheeks. She nodded vigorously.

"You told her, right?"

In her own way, she had, so she nodded again.

"She obviously feels the same way. She would have shut you down, like, _immediately _if she didn't," Callie held her gaze, encouraging and intense. "Trust me. I know her."

Jinx chewed at her lower lip, helplessly staring back at her friend. She couldn't find any words. They'd already established how bad she was at talking about this kind of thing. So, she just let Callie go on, figuring they could work out the answers that way.

"So just go all in! What's the worst that could happen!" Callie's smile brimmed with excitement. How could she _not _be passionate about this? Her cousin, her best friend in the entire world, was getting a chance at something really great. "You've already done the hard part, so get hyped!"

"Get… hyped?"

"Yes, hyped! Hold her hand, kiss her, take her fun places! Spend as much time with her as you can, and let yourself enjoy every second of it!" Every word just oozed confidence, and Jinx wondered how contagious that might be. "Marie is a wonderful person, and so are you. I couldn't be happier about this if I tried."

Sitting back a bit, Callie pulled her hands back and took up her tea. "Don't be scared of this. Jump in, feet first, and let yourself have it," then, through her smile, her brows tented a tiny bit. Concern…? "And whatever you do… don't hurt her. I love her too, you know."

Jinx swallowed, hard. She soaked in the words, taking each one to heart and nodding along with all of it. Of course Callie was right. She was Agent 3 - she wasn't scared of anything. And she wasn't going to be scared of this, this feeling that made her feel so warm and safe. So happy she could barely stand it.

"Callie," she spoke with a growing confidence of her own. "I could never, _ever _hurt her. I couldn't even imagine a world where that would be possible."

The worry melted from the older inkling's face just as quickly as it had appeared. "I know you won't. I just had to say it," she sighed contentedly, closing her eyes and sipping from her cup.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, drinking tea and enjoying each others' company in the quiet of the apartment. If it were possible, the place felt more like home to Jinx than it had before, and she was content to bask in it. When the bedroom door slid open again, her chest felt light and fluttery. She prepared to call out a good morning to Marie, to start the day off right and fresh.

Callie beat her to it.

"Hey Marie, didja get it in?"

Though Jinx was mortified, she heard Marie's voice call back nonchalantly without missing a beat.

"Nah, not this time."

"There's always tomorrow!"

Jinx pulled the hood down over her face.

…..

**Notes: **Now that we got THAT out of the way—next chapter we gonna start getting into it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes: **Sorry it's been a minute! Time to get the ball rolling. -_Rove_

**Chapter 6**

After that night, there came a very obvious shift in the way the two inklings behaved around each other. Where before there were awkwardly exchanged glances, light jabs at each other and quiet conversations grew in their place. They played rounds of Twenty Questions to find out more about each other, from the easiest topics to some much deeper ones that were difficult to talk about.

While words about feelings still weren't her strong point, Jinx found herself increasingly more comfortable just talking about turf wars and battle strategies, hometowns and childhood accomplishments.

The more she learned about Marie, the more she adored her. Months went by that way, with the pair growing more and more attached to each other - at least, Jinx _hoped _it was mutual, because she was definitely starting to feel it whenever her companion had to be away for extended periods of time. A hollow sort of echo loomed within her on weekends or longer trips for Marie's career, and she did what she could to stay busy.

They went on lunch dates, held hands, stole kisses whenever they could - though, never in public, lest the Squid Sisters' fanbase fillet Jinx on the spot.

They didn't really talk about their relationship, about what it was. From her perspective, Marie was perfectly content not to, and she had a hard time pinpointing the churning in her stomach at the thought. She couldn't help but wonder if Marie was ashamed of it, despite the obvious _physical _signs that everything was okay. She could read it in the subtle touches to her back, the squeeze of the older girl's fingers in hers. The gentle kisses against her skin.

Her favorite was when kisses grew desperate. When things got heated and it became abundantly clear that she was _wanted _, especially if she'd been worrying that maybe she was wrong. Marie kissed her with a ferocity she'd never felt from another person before, completely the opposite of what her usual laid-back demeanor would suggest. Jinx responded in kind, always, speaking in her peculiar way as she felt the words on Marie's tongue.

_I need you. I want you. I'm yours, just yours. _

It was a conversation they had with increasing frequency.

Jinx worked up the nerve to ask one evening, pressed as seamlessly against the taller girl as she could be and running her fingertips lightly up and down Marie's arm. They spent every night like this now, and Jinx couldn't think of anything she'd rather have as her 'normal.'

Soft words murmured, unsure, into the other's shoulder. "So like… what are we?" It felt so cliche, maybe even stupid, but at least she got it out.

For a moment, there was silence. Jinx listened to the heartbeat against her ear, listened to the steady rhythm of Marie's breathing as she thought about it.

"I don't know if it's really important to put a label on it," she said, tracing reassuring circles between Jinx's shoulder blades. "But if you want to, I guess we can."

Jinx shifted. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I just… don't know what to call you."

A gentle laugh jostled her from where she lay against Marie's chest. "Most people just call me Marie?" She teased, earning a stifled giggle. "Honestly though… if you really want to, you could call me your girlfriend. I'm just a bit worried about you gettin' cooked by my fans." Her tone took on a hint of concern.

Ah. Jinx hadn't thought of that. She grimaced, pressing her face into Marie's neck and taking a deep breath before the anxiety could crowd her mind. The threat of immediate splattage couldn't keep away the rush she felt at the chance, though. Getting to use the word 'girlfriend' in the same sentence when describing Marie? It was the thrill she'd gotten with their first kiss, with every kiss after that, with every second they got to spend together. Times ten. Maybe a hundred.

Lifting her head again and grinning like a giddy teenager, she nodded furiously.

"Worth it. I'll fight 'em all off, if I get to call you my girlfriend," her stomach fluttered even saying it.

Another soft laugh rang in her ears, musical and lovely like everything else about her partner. "You are pretty good with that hero shot, Agent 3. I know I'd hate to go up against you," Marie crooned with a fond smile, tugging her a little closer and leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Jinx beamed. "You'd snipe me before I even got close," she stated happily.

"Mm, and you would thank me for it?"

"Duh." A noise of contentment rumbled in her chest as she leaned up to steal a real kiss.

For a while, everything was perfect.

Jinx only went back to her apartment for clothes, one week's worth at a time, and to do laundry. She flowed seamlessly into the Squid Sisters' lives, their daily routine. They had morning coffee together before Marie and Callie headed off to do the Inkopolis News. She knew them without the television personas, in pajamas and comfort, and she felt at home every single day. She busied herself during the day with a few rounds of turf war, occasionally browsing the shops for new outfits - though she never swapped out her favorite beanie, that was her signature - and heading down to Octo Valley to check in with Cap'n Cuttlefish.

It was good to run some recon, just to be sure the Octarian troops didn't overrun the valley again. She liked to revisit the domes and clear them out every now and then. DJ Octavio watched her from his snow globe prison every time, glaring death as she passed.

"Yer ruinin' _hundreds_ of lives, ya know," He growled his warning.

Jinx rolled her eyes. "I'm saving my city," she countered, stopping to press her fingertip accusingly against the glass. "Not that you'd know anything about protecting what you care about, all you want is to destroy Inkopolis!"

The flash in the Octo leader's eyes was unbridled rage. It caught her off guard. These days he was more often resigned to his fate, his glares half-hearted and his words carrying little weight. He was too tired and used to the snow globe life to fight back much anymore. Jinx's smile faded at the sudden, sincere hostility.

Octavio leaned forward as much as his prison would allow, that fury still burning in his eyes. "I bet ya think yer some big _hero _, don'tcha, squid?" His voice was low, not threatening but close to it. "Yer so busy pretendin' yer makin' the world a better place. But ya ain't. Yer a selfish brat, just like the rest of that stinkin' city."

Jinx thought that she knew better than to let what he said get to her. He always made off-handed comments about how much he hated her, and the NSS, and inklings for that matter. This, though...something didn't sit right with her about it. She glanced around to see where Cap'n Cuttlefish had escaped to, looking for an easy out from this conversation that was making her increasingly uncomfortable.

Cuttlefish was nowhere in sight.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about," she tried to sound brave, but her voice betrayed her false confidence. "I'm the good guy."

"Are ya?" Octavio was relentless. "Or are ya just scared of the truth? Don't ya think my people deserve to live in peace, too? Without a buncha bratty inklings comin' in ta destroy their homes?"

A dread like she had never known before settled, heavy and cold, in the pit of her stomach as the words sunk in. It came slow at first, creeping, and then all at once crashed down onto her shoulders like a frigid wave; the weight of a realization that, had she just stopped and _considered _for a second, may have prompted her to find another way around the problem. Another answer besides murdering every octo she came across. Besides blindly following the instruction of an old war veteran.

How many times had Jinx seen the panic on an Octotrooper's face when she'd taken down all of its team mates?

How often had she been face to face with an Octoling, cornered and out of ink, and seen the absolute _terror _in those eyes as it spoke to her in their bizarre language?

...What, she dare ask, had they been saying to her? Had they begged for her to spare them? For mercy?

When she looked back at DJ Octavio, she felt cold and clammy from the inside out. Her stomach pitched and she wondered if she was going to throw up. Shaking hands quickly released her trusty hero shot and it clattered to the ground, all under the heated stare of the trapped Octo leader.

Without another word, Agent 3 turned back and bolted for the sewer drain that would take her back home.

…..

**Notes: **OOoooo what could be happening? Feedback is appreciated. Enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes: **Nah we're just gonna get into this one. -_Rove_

**Chapter 7**

Marie would never say the studio was _boring. _That would be looking a gift horse in the mouth. Just because she and Callie were pop stars didn't mean this gig was locked in, they could have just as easily gotten someone else to do the news every day. Every two hours. Cod, she really hated that part. There were at least six things she could think of that she'd rather be doing, right off the top of her head.

At the very least, she had her cousin there to keep her company. The Squid Sisters sat there behind the large glass walls separating them from the rest of the plaza, and Marie vaguely paid attention to Callie's story about a turf war she'd gotten out of. Her mind wandering in a different direction entirely.

She wondered what Jinx was doing right then.

It surprised her a little, how often she would think about her friend during the day. She was never the co-dependent type, never one to really obsess over a relationship. There was just something about Agent 3 that held her attention. It had grown on her, the endearing way that Jinx struggled to convey her feelings with words. The way she communicated through touch, through a nudge to the lower back. A tug on a sleeve. A fierce kiss brimming with desperation and desire.

Not that she was waxing poetic about it, of course. She rested her cheek in one palm and stared out the windows into the plaza, in no way daydreaming about the soft purple color of Jinx's tentacles, or the way her dark skin beautifully contrasted Marie's own, or how her eyes lit up whenever they saw each other. No… Marie played it cool. She was calm, she was composed, and she was not a giddy child with a hopeless crush.

It wasn't hopeless, after all. Because Jinx liked her, too.

A lot of came up that first night they spent together all those weeks ago, for both of them. A lot of things that Marie still thought about while her mind was on the topic of Agent 3.

_Jinx got comfortable - unfathomably comfortable - sliding up next to Marie on the soft sheets. She was rigid at first, the tension lost in the heat of the shower creeping back into her muscles and threatening to make for a very awkward evening. But the older girl flashed an amused smile, slid both arms around her back, and tugged Jinx up to lay half beside her and half on top of her._

"_Relax," the pop idol soothed, loosing one hand to trace her fingertips along one violet tentacle. "You act like you've never slept next to someone before." _

_Jinx snorted, her cheeks burning endlessly. "I, uh, haven't?" She couldn't believe Marie was surprised, honestly. "Is… is it normal for squids our age to, like…?" _

_Marie shook her head, her gaze searching and thoughtful though her actions felt fluid and practiced. "Not really, no," she shrugged. "Callie and I used to sleep together all the time when we were kids, that's all. I guess I never asked if you had any siblings."_

_They hadn't asked much about each other at all, really. Nothing deeply personal. _

"_Why don't we play a game?" Marie went on, that smile still lingering on her face as she watched Jinx's expressions. It was interesting to see someone who wore their heart so openly - metaphorically, of course. _

_Jinx's brow creased in confusion. Hadn't they just gotten comfortable? Relatively? "Sunken Treasure is in the other room, I think-" _

"_We don't need anything to play this one, Agent 3," Marie said, like she didn't want to laugh at the clueless comment. She did, though not for cruel reasons. It was strangely endearing, and she smoothed a tentacle back over Jinx's shoulder. "Twenty Questions. It's pretty simple. I ask you something about yourself, and you ask me something about me."_

_There was another first. Jinx couldn't remember the last time anyone had asked her about herself-well. No one had. She wasn't exactly what the inklings called "social." Shifting against the sheets, her loose shirt bunching up around the base of her back, she rested her cheek against Marie's shoulder and pursed her lips. _

"_I'm not all that interesting," she laughed after a second of thinking about it. _

_Marie rolled her eyes. "You came out of nowhere, steamrolled the entire Octarian army, fried their leader, and made friends with the Squid Sisters - all within a month," she said matter-of-factly. "I'd argue most squids would find that extremely interesting."_

_She couldn't really argue with that. _

"_Okay… well, uh. Twenty Questions?" She kept her hands close to her chest, unsure if she was allowed to do anything else with them. "How do you play?"_

_Marie explained the rules patiently, despite it being fairly self-explanatory, already adding to the list of things she wanted to ask. "I'll go first, if you don't mind," she continued, earning a shrug and a nod from the girl beside her. _

"_Alright," she cleared her throat, deciding to go with something easy. "Do you prefer pineapple or no pineapple on your pizza?" _

_Jinx didn't even have to think about it. "I don't like pizza," she said. "Don't like tomato sauce. Is it my turn now?" _

_Marie held back her surprise. She'd never met a squid who didn't like pizza; it was as much a staple as turf wars. But she didn't dwell on it. "Mhm, go ahead."_

"_Okay… Uh. What did you do before you started singing?" _

_A grimace crossed the inkling's face at the memory. "I worked at Walleye Warehouse with Callie," she hated that place ever since. Avoided turf wars there like the plague. "The best part about that job was quitting."_

_They went back and forth like this for a little while, slowly counting up the number of questions so they didn't go overboard - they did have to sleep at some point, after all. Learning little facts about each other, like how Jinx had six brothers and sisters, or how much Marie missed Calamari County sometimes. Favorite colors, foods, seasons._

_When they each had one question left, Marie really took the time to consider hers. She stored so much information away already, so now it was time for something impulsive. _

"_How long have you liked me?" _

_Jinx wasn't prepared for that question. Her face flushed and she laughed nervously, glancing at the wall over Marie's shoulder. _

"_Uh," she swallowed. "A long time."_

_Marie raised a brow, waiting for the rest. _

"_...since we met in person, I guess?" Another tiny chuckle. "So like. Four...months ago? Maybe five?" She couldn't even remember how long ago Octo Valley had been. _

"_Oh," was all Marie said, at first. She couldn't say she was surprised, but at the same time… "Why on earth did you wait this long to say something?" _

_Jinx tipped her head a bit, like the question was perplexing. "You… you didn't ask?" In her head, the answer was so obvious. "I mean. You're not… the easiest person to get a read on, Marie. An' I'm not the freshest squid on the block, so…" _

_The older inkling rolled her eyes. "I dropped hints everywhere," she stated. "Anyway, last question is yours."_

_For a moment or two, there was quiet. Jinx gazed thoughtfully at that same spot on the wall, cheek pressed against Marie's shoulder, listening to the distant thrum of her heartbeats. Then, without looking back at her companion, she spoke again._

"_...Same question. How...how long have you been…?" _

_She couldn't even finish the thought without blushing again. _

"Do you ever feel like we're inside a giant fish tank in here?"

Naturally, Marie tuned back in right as Callie blurted something so ridiculous it was almost philosophical. Turning her head just a bit so she could give her cousin a very heavy side-eye, Marie blinked once. Slowly.

"No, but I think you've been stuck in here for too many hours and it's messing with you," she said, unable to keep the smirk off her face when Callie huffed indignantly. "We should go out for the next couple hours… I'm getting hungry, anyway."

Callie's face lit up immediately at the suggestion. "Yes, _please _," she hopped up out of her chair, waving enthusiastically at a few fans who had their faces pressed against the glass. The elated inklings waved back, shouting their 'hello's to the idol. "They're so cute, y'know? I'm really glad we get the chance to make them happy."

"It's a charmed life I suppose," Marie shrugged, getting to her feet and smoothing a few of the sequins on her dress. "We should sneak out before they start asking for autographs-"

She was about to turn for the back door when she spotted Jinx. Hands flat against the glass, russet eyes wide, brow creased. Immediately Marie was wary - she didn't think she'd ever seen that expression on her partner before. They locked eyes for a moment, amber searching for answers that weren't coming through, before the singer gestured toward the back of the studio and Jinx nodded a little in understanding.

"Marie?" Callie chimed in, concern lining her voice. "Is… is everything okay? She looks worried."

"I'll talk to her," Marie kept her words calm and collected, grabbing her hoodie from the coat hanger on her way toward the door. No use in stirring the pot without knowing what was going on. "I'm sure it's fine. Can you go pick us up something for lunch, and we'll meet back home?"

Her cousin hesitated at first, eyes following Jinx as long as she could while the inkling ran around the building. "...Yeah. Okay."


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: **Nope! No notes. Just enjoy as the NSS agents have to start really questioning what they thought they knew.

-Rove

**Chapter 8**

As soon as Marie stepped outside of the studio, she found herself with an armful of Agent 3. Jinx buried her face against the older inkling's shoulder, arms wrapped firmly around her. She didn't say anything, but when Marie put a hand on her shoulder it was trembling.

Something most definitely had her spooked.

She didn't make an effort to pry her girlfriend off of her, speaking softly and resting her other hand against the small of Jinx's back. "What's going on?" Then, to rule out a few options - "Is Gramps telling his old war stories again?"

It was a stupid question, she could already tell by the tight grip around her and Jinx's odd silence. She wasn't crying, wasn't even whimpering - she was deathly quiet. Marie couldn't imagine what might scare her like this.

A few seconds passed before Jinx finally spoke. Her voice shook, muffled by the soft green fabric she hid in. "Marie," had she _been _crying? Words came out cracked and raspy. "I'm a bad person."

That struck an odd chord, giving Marie a list of possibilities for the state her companion was in. Had someone threatened her? Did some squid too big for their boots harass her enough to get under her skin? Was it to do with their relationship? She'd expected some kind of backlash, but imagining that it had actually come to pass vexed her.

"Whoever told you that is likely just jealous," she kept her voice level despite the growing irritation at the unknown agitator. "Not everyone can be-"

" _No _," Jinx cut her off sharply, lifting her head and gazing at her girlfriend with so much guilt on her face - it was a haunted look. "No, Marie, I'm a bad person! I've been doing _horrible _things to innocent people! There's people dying, there are _kids _down there who didn't do _anything wrong _-"

Her words grew louder and more frantic with each one, the trembling in her shoulders overtaking her whole body the more hysterical she became. It was jarring, seeing the bright and outgoing girl so distressed. Marie found herself wishing she hadn't asked Callie to take off; she wasn't equipped to handle this kind of thing.

"Jinx- _Jinx," _they couldn't have this conversation here. She made an executive decision on that. "Come on. Let's go home, and we can sit down and talk there. Callie's picking up lunch." Blanket nests and food were always a surefire way to bring the light back to those brown eyes, if Marie had learned anything over the last several months.

They stood there another minute so that Jinx could collect herself at least a tiny bit, so she could stop shaking enough to move. Marie took her hand, twining their fingers together and giving a gentle squeeze. A part of the physical language that she'd picked up - just a small notion of ' _I'm here _.'

After her outburst, Jinx went straight back to being eerily quiet as they walked back to the apartment. She held Marie's hand like it was a lifeline, gaze fixed to the ground.

Callie was waiting there when they stepped through the door together, dressed down in her favorite tank and bright pink hoodie, pulling take-out containers from a paper bag. She turned to greet her friends, looking first to Jinx and then at Marie for some kind of clarification.

"Is everything okay? What's going on…?" She asked carefully, as Marie led the shorter girl to the kitchen counter. Callie pressed the back of her hand to Jinx's forehead, seeming to snap her out of her daze as wide eyes looked up at her friend.

Marie stepped in first. "Let's eat first, no sense having this conversation on empty stomachs." She was stalling, she knew she was, but what little she'd gotten out of her girlfriend made her wary of what the bottom line was. She pressed a tiny kiss to Jinx's temple, carefully slipping her hand away. "I'm going to go get changed, but I'll be right back."

And then, to Callie as she passed - "I'm going to need your help with this one, Cal. Something's really wrong."

Callie nodded without hesitation. "Gotcha."

As the bedroom door closed, the dark-haired inkling grabbed one of the containers off of the counter. "Hey," she said. "Let's go throw on a movie and have some lunch, okay?" While it was a suggestion, for all accounts and purposes, there was no room for argument.

Jinx seemed dazed when she looked up again. She _felt _it. Everything in her head was swimming and she thought she might drown in the mess, in the confusion. She'd never had an identity crisis before but she couldn't help but think that's what it was. Like her whole purpose in life was wrong.

She nodded anyway, slowly, and wrung her hands together as she followed back into the living room.

Callie plopped down onto the couch, Jinx taking a seat a bit more gently beside her. She didn't say anything, hoping that if she took a minute more to process she could speak clearly. Just another minute. And maybe another one after that.

"C'mon, eat something," her friend continued like it was just a normal afternoon. The buttery smell of something deep fried wafted toward her as the box was opened, and she hadn't eaten all day, but it made Jinx's stomach twist.

"I'm not hungry," she said quietly, swallowing down the nausea.

Callie rolled her eyes. "Just eat a little. It'll make you feel better."

No, she was pretty sure it wouldn't. She took a piece from the container without looking, if only to placate the insistent inkling, nibbling on it half-heartedly. Her stomach pitched violently when the taste hit her tongue, but she only took a deep breath and tried to work through it.

"So, what's on your mind?"

Talking with Callie was a double-edged sword of sorts, where she didn't mince words. She wasn't afraid to jump into situations that might wind up uncomfortable. It was perfect for avoiding awkward silences, but cut-throat for Jinx, who had absolutely no idea how to answer that question. She still couldn't string together enough words to make complete sentences.

They sat there in the quiet. Callie waiting, watching, patient for the response she wanted. Jinx stared down at the crispy thing in her hand, identified it as fried shrimp and wondered how weird that must be for Crusty Sean. She waited until she heard the bedroom door open, heard the soft steps as Marie came back to settle down beside her on the couch.

Sitting there between her two closest friends, she should have felt safer. But all she could think about were the words of DJ Octavio.

It haunted her. What if things had been different for her? What if she had been born underground? If she'd been an octoling instead of an inkling? Would she be living in constant terror that society would crumble around her at any moment? Was that a fear _they _all lived with? When did it become a battle of 'Us versus Them'? The onslaught kept repeating over and over in her mind, drowning out everything else-

"Whoa, Jinx, hey-" Callie's voice. Callie was still there, sounding distant at first until there was a hand on her shoulder. Another from the other side, cradling the back of her head.

Her cheeks felt damp. When did that happen…?

Marie couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Jinx cry. In the last nine months since they met, she didn't think she had. Usually the girl was upbeat, energetic! Ready to cook Octos and win ranked battles, any day of the week. What was it she'd said earlier? Something about being a bad person? Two pairs of amber eyes met across the couch and Callie nodded knowingly.

Time to tag team.

Carefully, Callie took the uneaten food from Jinx's hands. Marie moved in and pulled her close, at a complete loss for words but knowing that in times like this, the younger girl wouldn't be able to use them anyway. Marie smoothed her hand down Jinx's back, letting her girlfriend curl up against her chest and bury her face once again into the soft fabric of her hoodie.

Jinx's shoulders heaved and shook with the force of her hysterical sobs.

Marie squeezed her tighter, resting her cheek against purple tentacles. Callie scooted in too, leaning over and resting against Jinx's back. It was a little ridiculous, a veritable Squid Sister sandwich, but it was closeness and pressure and as much safety as they could give. They took turns singing to her, soft versions of their own singles and even a toned down rendition of the Calamari Inkantation, losing track of the minutes ticking by until the muffled sobs quieted back into soft hiccups. Occasional whimpers.

Then… quiet.

No one moved for a little while, not willing to take the chance that all was well. Marie caught Callie's eye, the latter still humming softly, and they held a brief conversation in the shared gaze.

Callie was the first to move, very slowly shifting away to avoid spooking the girl between them. "I'm gonna go make some coffee, yeah? I'll be right back." She kissed the back of Jinx's head as she passed.

For a moment or two, Marie wondered if Jinx had fallen asleep. She listened for the more even breathing but it still hitched occasionally, and she sat there running her fingertips up and down the girl's back as she wondered what to say that would help. Not for the first time, she considered just how much she struggled to support anyone's emotions besides her own and Callie's.

She wasn't entirely without empathy, that wasn't the case at all. Her reach just fell short of anyone not within her immediate circle, and while she and Jinx had been friends for just shy of a year now, something like half of that time had been spent together like this. Only one month since they put the label on it, and with an internal grimace she realized that she had been taking her sweet time getting in touch with Jinx's feelings. She thought she had time, when nothing showed signs of changing… this was completely out of the blue.

Time to learn on the job. At least Marie was good at thinking on her feet, and had the patience of the Great Zapfish itself - thank cod she'd been a quick study on the Charger.

"Hey," she said, gently, tapping lightly between her girlfriend's shoulders. Getting her attention in her language.

Jinx shifted a tiny bit, turning her head and resting her cheek on Marie's shoulder as opposed to having her face shoved completely into the crook of her neck. She didn't answer.

Marie went on. "I'm not sure what got you so riled… and you don't _have _to talk about it if you aren't ready."

She paused to leave room for a reply, but was met with silence again.

"...But when you _do _want to talk, you can. We can," maybe if _she _kept talking, the right words would miraculously fall out of her mouth. "If you start at the beginning, let me know what set you off…that might help? I know you can have a hard time when your brain gets scrambled."

Marie didn't ramble often. She didn't see the point, when she was generally very good at expressing what she needed to in a few simple words. She supposed the fact that she was trying so hard meant that she cared more than she thought.

After what felt like a lifetime, Jinx took a deep breath and lifted her head, red-rimmed eyes weary and helpless. She didn't move away from her comfortable spot pressed against Marie, her safe space, fingers twisting loosely in soft fabric. She loved this hoodie. She liked to steal it and slip it on when Marie was away, bring the cuffs of the too-big sleeves up to her nose and draw in the familiar scent.

She knew she had to calm down, and she was honestly trying. Being here helped, it always helped. "'M sorry," her voice came out weak and raspy. She cleared her throat, gazing up at Marie's face like she had all the answers. That wasn't fair, and she knew that, to put so much pressure on one person. "I didn't mean to panic, I don't...know what came over me."

The gentle clinking of mugs and spoons in the kitchen filled the brief silences in their quiet conversation. The bubbling hiss of the perca and the sweet smell of coffee came next, reminding Jinx that she was at home. She let her mind rattle off more calming thoughts, like how deceptively sweet Marie liked her java and how Callie only drank it black because she was "sweet enough already."

Though a pang of guilt struck her when that thought roused more troubling ones - did octolings have coffee in the mornings? Did they joke and prod at each other about how sweet or bitter their friends liked it? Did they even have access to the commodity down there? Probably not. Coffee was hard to come by as it was, even Callie and Marie only made it for certain occasions.

The feeling swelled in her chest, tightened in her throat and she swallowed to try and alleviate it.

"Marie?" She croaked, easily catching the idol's attention. "Do you ever think about octolings?"

Well, Marie couldn't say she was expecting that one. "I think about what a nuisance they are," she couldn't keep the mild annoyance out of her tone. "And how much havoc they'd wreak if they ever reached the surface."

"And the sound they make when ya run 'em over with a roller!" Callie chimed in, bringing over a small tray with three steaming mugs and setting it on the small table in the living room. "KERSPLAT! Never gets old~"

Jinx grimaced. "That's…really not what I meant." And if she was being honest, it just made the guilt worse. "I mean do you ever think that...maybe we aren't. Doing the right thing?"

She held her breath as she felt both pairs of eyes lock on her. Bracing for the response that they'd all been conditioned to give, to that kind of suggestion.

"Jinx, that's ridiculous-" Marie started, almost laughing at the sentiment that they were anything but the force of good in the world fighting back a menace.

"Hold on," Callie raised a hand toward her cousin. Giving pause to all three of them. "What do you mean, Jinx? Like, in going after the octarians?"

And while the very idea was preposterous as far as Marie was concerned, the look on Jinx's face was unmistakable. Resignation.

"...we just," she sounded so unsure of herself, she must have been so sure they were going to throw her out of the apartment if she said what was on her mind. "We go into their homes. We hunt them down _where they live _, and just...destroy everything." Russet eyes met with Marie's, flicking back toward Callie for validation.

They were supposed to be fighting for peace and happiness. For everyone.

"They're people. They're cephalings just like us, with a society that we're depriving them an energy source for...That doesn't feel _wrong _to you?"

Now it was Marie and Callie's turn to exchange glances. Luckily they had mastered the art of having conversations without a single word - Marie held onto her initial thoughts, that something had brainwashed her girlfriend. Callie, on the other hand, looked like she was actually _considering _it.

Well, someone had to be the voice of reason. Careful not to get accusatory, Marie shifted a little so she could sit up. Not enough to jostle their friend too badly, but enough that she could press her palm to Jinx's cheek.

"Have you been talking to DJ Octavio, love?" She asked, though she was fairly certain she knew the answer.

Was that a hint of betrayal in Jinx's eyes? Oh. That was worse than she thought it would be.

"So what if I have?" She countered. "It's still true. Haven't you ever thought about it?" She moved to accommodate, sitting up with her hands on Marie's thighs. Pleading with her to not shrug this off. She had to know that she wasn't crazy, that she wasn't the only one.

Callie settled back down at last, circling a fingertip around the rim of her cup. "It's not an easy decision, Jinx," she assured, earning a sharp look from Marie. "But we do what has to be done, y'know? We've gotta protect Inkopolis."

The younger inkling turned toward her. "What if it were the other way around? What if it was them coming up here to splat us? Wouldn't that feel totally unfair, for the inklings that didn't do anything wrong to them?"

Marie sighed, dropping her hand and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, some of them are actively fighting us - but what about the ones that aren't? What about the octolings minding their own business, when we take back the zapfish and then suddenly their entire _society _starts collapsing around them?" The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to Jinx. She was starting to sound more frantic. "What did they do to deserve that kind of terrifying experience?!"

" _Jinx, _" Marie finally took her by the shoulders, catching her attention again, nearly shaking a look of surprise out of Jinx. "Enough. Listen to yourself. You're letting Octavio get under your skin." Steady and firm, leaving little room for argument. She relented marginally when surprise melted into something a little like defeat, smoothing her palms down the girl's arms to take her hands.

It wasn't her imagination that Callie was watching her, either. She didn't need the pair of them ganging up on her - she had to de-escalate.

"Come on. Let's have a bath, the hot water will help. We can talk more after that," she leaned in to kiss Jinx's forehead, thankful she wasn't upset enough to draw back.

With one last 'drop it' look at her cousin, Marie stood and tugged her distraught girlfriend along with her. The bathroom door closed behind them.

Callie took a deep breath, exhaling heavily and staring into the dark liquid in her cup. The other two sat, untouched and growing cold, on the table.

She didn't think Jinx was crazy. How could she, when she'd wondered the same things? Still, the source was untrustworthy. She saw the look Marie had shot at her. She knew. It would have been naive of her not to.

Maybe she should just...stop thinking so much about it.

…

**Note: **I do have end notes.

Feedback is appreciated as things start to heat up here.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes****: **This is the part where I establish ages – Jinx is 18, never fear. Sorry for the wait between chapters but I'm actually adding more to the story now! Enjoy! _-Rove_

**Chapter 9**

For the longest time, it was almost impossible to get Jinx anywhere near water. Hygiene was something Marie vowed to make her better about the second they started unofficially dating, and after a few weeks of hard work it was finally a consistent thing. She found it was good incentive when she offered to help.

As it turned out, one of Agent 3's favorite pastimes was cuddling - and if there just so happened to be hot water and no clothes involved, it didn't deter her.

The Squid Sisters had a modest apartment for what they could've afforded if they wanted to, but one thing they both agreed to splurge on was a bathtub that could fit at least two full grown inklings. The money wasn't wasted; the cousins had been bathing together since they were kids, and especially now that Jinx lived with them it was a luxury they were happy they could afford.

A soft layer of steam clouded the bathroom from the heat of the water as the pair lounged in the tub, Marie's back pressed against the side. Loose tentacles dipped into the water on either side of her shoulders, and she dipped her hands below the surface to bring palm-fulls of soapy water up and over Jinx's skin. The motion became repetitive and she closed her eyes, keeping her breathing even in hopes that it would encourage her girlfriend to do the same.

Back to the older girl, Jinx stared wearily into the swirling water and occasional bubbles, letting Marie's touch convey what she needed to hear. She tried to relax, she really did, and at least the panic had ebbed away. In its place, though, a kind of empty misery hung around. She had no idea what to do with herself.

What _could _she do? It wasn't even night yet and she was just so tired.

Fingertips brushed against the back of her neck and jolted her out of her trance, a shiver trickling down her back as nerve endings came to life. Suddenly she was aware that every sound had felt far away, like she was underwater, until that moment when she could hear Marie singing to her.

She loved Marie's voice. And the melody was soothing and familiar, and she leaned back against her partner's chest and closed her eyes to listen.

"... _when the tide goes out, and the sea falls out of sight, I hope it finds you… _"

It was so gentle, Jinx thought for a second that she might cry. She reached for Marie's hand, halting its movement and just… holding on. Feeling the vibrato against her cheek.

" _In the dark of night, when the moon is in the sky, do you see it too…? _"

She had only heard Marie practice this song, never on stage. She would remember. She remembered every performance that the Squid Sisters had ever done; after the events of Octo Valley, she'd made a point to start paying attention to the pop stars and their work. They always had so much fun when they did shows. Callie was always bouncy and excitable anyway, but to see Marie let loose like that…

"_...We could be worlds away, but we meet each day when the tide comes to bay… _"

...How long had she just been sitting there thinking about her girlfriend? Jinx felt her cheeks flush, and while she could blame it on the heat, she would much rather let herself revel in the flutters in her stomach that came along with remembering that this inkling was here. With her. Giving a tiny performance, _just _for her. Plus, the acoustics in the bathroom were really impressive.

" _...Oh, don't you see? It is me waving to you… _"

"I love that song," Jinx sighed dreamily.. "You should record it."

A soft laugh spilled from Marie's lips and she tipped her head. "It's a work in progress," she said. Then, determined not to let silence slip back in- "I was trying to tell Callie a story the other day. I can't remember how it goes, the one with your sister and the toothpaste?"

The memory seemed like ages ago now, but Jinx could still see it playing out clearly in her mind's eye. "Yeah, with the record player... " She didn't elaborate though, the fog was fading but she was too tired to talk. "Later." Turning her head to allow for it, she nuzzled against Marie's neck and pressed a kiss against her skin.

"Careful with those kisses, love," Marie teased. "I have to do the news in an hour. I don't think Inkopolis needs to be buzzing with gossip about bite marks, and I don't have any scarves that go with my dress."

Jinx giggled at the thought, slowly but surely starting to come back into herself. "Y'did just fine fielding questions last time," she said, dropping another kiss a bit higher up - against the edge of Marie's jaw. Coaxed on by the _barely _audible gasp it earned her. "What did you say? You took a charger shot right in the neck?"

"You're awful," there was no venom in the accusation, and no struggle when Jinx shifted to sit on her lap. On the contrary, she slid her hands down her partner's back and pulled her closer. She wasn't going to argue - it got them away from the topic that had created so much nervous tension in such a short time. If this was the kind of distraction that was necessary, Marie would take that added bonus.

Despite how long they'd been together - what was it going on, four months now? Officially? That sounded right. But despite all that time and all the passion they both poured into every kiss and every touch, their activities hadn't ventured past this. Jinx hadn't asked, and Marie respected that. They were both perfectly comfortable with make-out sessions, for lack of a classier term, and clothes were always optional.

It remained, if nothing else, the best method of communication for Jinx. And Marie was learning quickly.

When Jinx leaned in to kiss her, it was nothing short of baring her soul. She liked to cradle Marie's face between her palms and pull her closer, every time; the translation something similar to 'you're more precious to me than anything.'

Responding with practiced ease, Marie slipped a palm up from the dip in her girlfriend's lower back, to press her fingertips in between her shoulders. A spot that seemed to ease any tension Jinx carried.

The younger girl melted predictably into the touch, breaking away from the kiss and instead trailing her lips from the corner of Marie's mouth to the edge of her cheek. Running her hands down over neck, shoulders, one finding a pale tentacle and stroking thoughtfully. As she kissed her way along Marie's neck, she felt the soft hum of approval before she heard it and her pride swelled at the 'reward.'

Smiling to herself, Marie tipped her head despite her prior protests and gave Jinx more room to lavish attention across her skin, working her fingers in small circles down the length of her partner's back and relishing in each little inch that she scooted closer in response. Each touch praised her, encouraged her, told her what she needed to hear.

'_I'm here. I'm yours.'_

Jinx nuzzled her face into the exposed crook of Marie's neck after a few minutes, body pressing seamlessly against the taller form. She wound her arms around Marie and held on, in a grip that suggested she wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

Now she was comfortable, and she was terrified to lose that. Here, she could pretend this morning never happened.

In the very first in a series of mistakes that Jinx and Marie had no idea they were making, they never spoke of the 'morality panic' again. Thoughts of the conversation swirled down the drain with the bath water the instant it cooled off. Octo Valley fell back into the past where it belonged.

Jinx stopped running recon. She stopped talking about it, stopped thinking about it. Pushed it to the back of her mind and locked it away, until at last she felt more like herself.

Three more months flew by like a total dream, as far as Jinx was concerned. Things shifted and changed, of course - inklings were starting to talk about a separate portion of the city, Inkopolis Square, where it seemed like all the 'cool squids' were partying it up. She'd heard the news from Sean; it sounded like he was trying to pack up shop and start a legitimate food business over there.

Though it was growing difficult for the Squid Sisters to go out in public with their rising popularity, they couldn't stay in their apartment all day long. Jinx whined at her girlfriend for a lunch date one afternoon and Marie indulged her, throwing on her cap and face mask along with her casual standby outfit.

"Did you know they're building a new studio over in Inkopolis Square?" Jinx asked as they stepped out into the street, reaching for Marie's hand without a second thought.

The older girl reached back and squeezed her girlfriend's hand, a movement so familiar she didn't have to think about it anymore. "I heard something about that," she said as they walked toward the open space of the plaza. "They've been putting a lot of new stores over there recently. I keep thinking I should go check it out."

Jinx shrugged. She scuffed one of her cherry blossom high tops against the pavement. Then, quite abruptly, she asked, "What's the next splatfest here gonna be?" Brown eyes glanced up expectantly.

Marie looked at her, mildly surprised by the question. "I thought you didn't like turf wars?" Last she checked, that was the case. She played, but preferred ranked battles if she absolutely had to go into the lobby… but they hadn't been able to spend as much time together in the last few weeks, work picking up like it had. They were, in fact, planning for the next fest.

Another shrug. "Turns out they're not so bad!" She beamed. Conveniently leaving out the fact that they were a good distraction. "I've just been super bored lately, so I thought I'd give it a go."

It seemed a bit abrupt, but Marie didn't pry. She scoped their usual haunts around the plaza, leading her companion to a small sweet shop they liked to frequent. "I imagine you're pretty good at it, all things considered. As long as you enjoy it…"

Jinx almost shrugged again, but stopped herself when she realized she'd done it twice already. Some of Marie's nonchalance must have rubbed off on her. She quickly stepped a beat ahead and grabbed the door, holding it open with a bright smile. "I'm having fun! Sheldon's weapons don't really stand up to the hero shot, but they're pretty creative!"

They got a table near the back, where the gentle chatter from the kitchen could be heard over the sound of oven doors opening and closing, and trays scraping on counter tops. The smells wafting out were absolutely _heavenly _.

"So, Splatfest?" Jinx pried as they settled in, expression bordering somewhere between eager and...desperate? "What's coming up? It's been a couple months, time for a new one, right?"

Since the start of their relationship, Marie had been catching more and more meaning behind Agent 3's tones and movement. She took pride in knowing things no one else did. This… seemed off somehow. Like something wasn't right. Again, she held back from asking, hoping maybe Jinx would explain on her own.

"They haven't told us yet," she admitted, leaning her elbow onto the table and propping her chin up on her palm. "I kind of wish they would. Callie's starting to get antsy, and it's contagious."

Jinx's face fell just a bit, bouncing her knee beneath the table and rubbing at the back of her neck. "Didn't you used to get the ideas from an old...machine? Thing?" She was grasping at straws. She needed something to do, so badly.

"Oh, that thing stopped working a few weeks ago," The answer was almost rehearsed, like she'd answered it a million times. Marie was too busy paying attention to the increasing anxiety brimming in her companion. "We're just waiting on our manager to make the final call. As far as I know, it's going to be the last splatfest we ever do, so it'll probably be some kind of gimmick for that-"

Mid-sentence, Marie reached down and grabbed the edge of the table. Forcing it to stop wiggling, locking eyes with her girlfriend across the surface and reaching out with her other hand to grip one of Jinx's.

"Talk," she said, quietly. "Something's on your mind. You're twitchy."

Six months ago, she would have let it go. But this was spiralling quickly, and if it got out of hand, she wasn't prepared for it to go south. Agent 3's emotions were fast and intense, and Callie was still helping her work through that particular road block.

Jinx swallowed, hard, consciously making the effort to stop her anxious bouncing and scrambling for an answer. Why was she so nervous about this? It wasn't like she was doing anything _bad. _Lots of inklings liked turf wars, there was nothing strange about it.

"I'm fine," she insisted, forcing a smile and perhaps a bit too much cheer into her voice. "I just, y'know, I was so focused on NSS stuff before that I didn't do a lotta turf wars. Turns out they're a lot of fun! I wanna get more into the scene, and-"

"Stop," Marie wasn't having it. Even with the mask covering half of her face, she managed to portray that she didn't buy it even for a second. "You hate team sports. Why are you suddenly so interested?"

"It's… it's something you're really involved in?" Jinx tried again, this time her argument sounding weaker.

"Mm," still no dice.

The shorter girl took one more deep breath, her shoulders slumping forward when she exhaled. "Callie told me I needed a hobby," was the final confession, brown eyes dropping away from Marie's and staring instead at the table. "That I was starting to get...punchy."

When she used to get like that, she would go to Octo Valley to blow off steam. That option wasn't on the table anymore - she was trying so hard not to think about it, but DJ Octavio's words still echoed in the back of her mind sometimes. What else could she do? Turf wars were just enough to keep her occupied.

Marie's brow creased when the truth came out. "Why didn't you just tell me?" She prodded. "That's not unreasonable. Plus, it could help you make some friends." Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember ever seeing Jinx hang out with anyone besides her and her cousin.

Jinx shrugged, earning a sigh from her partner.

"I'll tell you about Splatfest as soon as I know. In the meantime," Marie sat up again, letting go of the table and Jinx's hand. "Maybe you could find a team you can join up with." Not that she was much of a team player herself - her expertise lay in chargers, after all. And she and Callie worked flawlessly together.

Jinx promised to consider it, however reluctantly, and the conversation drifted away from the topic when a particularly cheerful jellyfish wandered over to take their order. He bobbed his way back to the kitchen afterward and they were alone again.

"It just feels like so much is changing," the purple-tentacled inkling sighed, turning her gaze toward the windows at the front of the shop. Inklings scattered about the plaza as usual, walking with their friends and talking animatedly, waiting for the next news segment to come on.

It all looked just as it always did, but ever since word of Inkopolis Square started spreading, there rested a heavy feeling in the air. Something she couldn't quite place.

Marie hummed thoughtfully at the sentiment. "Well, we are always reminding everyone to stay fresh. Change isn't necessarily a bad thing," she pointed out. "Maybe you should learn to embrace it."

Jinx fidgeted a little in her seat. Because Marie wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

There was nothing left to do but wait.

…..

**Notes**: The unofficial English lyrics for Tide Goes Out belong to LizzieBiz on youtube, go check it out! It's a really nice cover.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes**: This has gotten a lot more traffic than I thought it was going to, if I'm honest. Thanks for the love y'all. -_Rove_

**Chapter 10**

The announcement garnered mixed reactions, when it finally came to light a few weeks later.

Callie and Marie were told beforehand just what the gimmick was for the final splatfest, the one that would assure they went out with a bang. It took a moment for the information to sink in, both Squid Sisters not sure if they were excited or uncomfortable with the concept.

Marie was the first to recover, as always, keeping her cool and reminding Callie that it was just a game. It wasn't personal, it wasn't going to change anything between them. Callie, not nearly as good at hiding how she felt, kept a worried knot in her brow as they walked out of their manager's office that afternoon.

"But Marie," she said, worry heavy in her tone. "We've been a team since we were kids… This just. Doesn't feel right to me, pitting us against each other like this!"

Offering a reassuring smile, Marie rested a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "We're _still_ a team. Anyway, it's all in good fun - it'll just be another splatfest, like all the others. We announce it next month, everyone gets hyped, blah, blah, blah."

Callie didn't look impressed.

"We throw a huge party, there's music, dancing - maybe we can even do a couple of our solo performances, yeah?" Marie kept trying. She knew Callie better than anyone, knew how to untangle the web of thoughts being woven in her head. She gave a gentle squeeze, tilting her head to catch the other girl's gaze. "Everything will be alright. You'll see."

It was just a popularity contest. Marie saw no reason for concern.

She brought it up as casually as talking about the weather that evening, when Jinx got home and vaulted over the back of the couch with a big grin on her face.

"Oh man, you guys were spectating today right?" The younger inkling shot both fists into the air, breathless and excited. "Splat zones was intense! We were hanging back a little and then in the last minute, we just completely took over!"

Callie leaned on her elbows over the back of the couch, her usual bright smile only the tiniest bit subdued. "I saw! You guys really made 'em sweat, huh?"

Marie smiled at her phone, tuned in as she scrolled through Squidder. "They know a professional when they see one. Did you get any contact info from your teammates?"

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Nah. They were okay, but I can't just stay with the same team every battle - gotta switch it up, keep it fresh, right?" She folded her hands behind her head, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Well," Callie went on. "I'm glad you're getting that extra energy out. Sitting around here and being bored wasn't doing you any good."

"Everyone's getting hype for Splatfest - I actually can't wait to join in!"

"Oh," Marie jumped in again, finding her opening and never taking her gaze away from her phone. "We learned the theme for that today. It's 'Callie vs Marie.'"

Callie's smile wavered, noticeably, and Jinx's expression dropped into a blank stare. Brown eyes darted toward the older girl, a silence falling over the apartment save for the gentle tap of Marie's thumb against the screen.

No one could say how long that quiet lasted, though it certainly felt like a lifetime. Slowly, Jinx glanced up at Callie, taking in the crestfallen expression that the singer made no attempt to hide, already worried over what she might be thinking. There was genuine concern there, a fear that Jinx didn't recognize right away.

"...Are- are you sure that's a good idea?" Jinx finally asked, turning back to watch Marie for any signs of the same discomfort.

Marie only shrugged. "It seems cliche to me," she said. "Like they were really scrambling for ideas and just threw out the first thing that sounded 'tense.'" When she tore her eyes away from the LCD screen at last, she smiled a little.

"You're acting like it's the end of the world. I promise, it's not that big a deal."

Jinx shifted a bit, once more turning to Callie.

Because no matter what Marie said, no one was really sure what was going to happen. And Jinx couldn't help but feel like there was something she wasn't being told, that founded the worry plain on Callie's face.

The instant she realized she was being watched, though, the bubbly girl forced a grin onto her face. "Hey, Marie's right, y'know?" She assured, straightening up and stretching toward the ceiling. "It's just gonna be a good time! Good ol' Splatfest. You're gonna have such a blast, Jinx, they're a lot of fun!"

While Marie seemed placated, Jinx remained unsure, but she didn't voice her concerns. She held the worry in her heart for the next couple of weeks until it was finally announced for the public.

Even on screen, Callie kept a happy face through the whole thing. She bantered back and forth with her cousin, their quips coming across as snarky as usual but not meaning any real harm. Jinx watched the news on the big screen in the plaza, surrounded by other inklings that all started talking excitedly around her.

"Is this really the last Splatfest?!"

"Oh, I'm totally going Team Callie, she's so fresh!"

"Are you squidding me? Team Marie, all the way!"

The energy was nothing but upbeat and exciting. It was even mildly contagious, and Jinx took a deep breath and let herself believe that everything was going to be okay. She even went to the pledge box to pick her team without debating too hard with herself!

She joined Team Callie to avoid making it look like she was playing favorites.

Also, so that members of her own team weren't out for her ink all 'fest.

Truly, she hadn't _heard _any rumors or nasty words being spread across Inkopolis. It wasn't exactly a secret that she and Marie were dating, but if it mattered to anyone, Jinx wouldn't know. It was almost unsettling, how turbulent things _weren't _. Maybe she was just expecting too much out of her fellow squids.

Callie and Marie spent the next couple of weeks preparing. They both seemed the tiniest bit on edge, but with some reassurance, Jinx let herself be consoled into thinking it was just because the event was so big. She filled whatever spare time she could with practice - running recon on a few of the stages whenever they changed, playing practice rounds with a different team every time.

They had small moments of respite where all three of them wound up in the same place, but they were brief and unsatisfying, and Jinx switched tactics to avoid the frustration: she avoided the apartment. Her breaks in between matches were spent wandering the plaza, window shopping.

It was safe to say the Squid Sisters noticed. At first, Marie didn't question it - it was normal for them to miss each other once in awhile. When three days had gone by, she knew something was up.

Slipping into the apartment to the sound of life stirring from the kitchen, Marie quickly closed the door behind her and stealthily flicked the lock. Callie, after all, had taken off to find someplace quiet to make a phone call. It could only be Jinx.

"You know," she stepped toward the kitchen, folding her hands behind her back and squashing down the mild annoyance that came from being ignored. "I'm gonna have to kick you out of the bed if you don't take a bath soon."

Something clattered onto the counter, then some scrambling and a dull 'thud,' and when she crossed onto the wooden floor Jinx was crouched down and rubbing the back of her head. Marie pressed a palm onto the counter, leaning over and half-smiling.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Jinx winced when she looked up, one eye half-closed and the other starting to water from the throbbing in the back of her head. "I thought you were sleeping," she said.

"Take a break," Marie segued immediately. "It's been a week since we actually spent time together."

They spent an afternoon with each other, talking about nothing of real consequence. Turf war stories, teammates who didn't listen, brief glimpses into what was keeping everyone apart. Only brief, though. Callie had been going to auditions, for movie roles and TV spots. Marie had been working on a few solo pieces, including the one she'd been practicing.

Jinx helped to tie Marie's tentacles back up before she had to go back to the studio. They sat with each other in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, shared a chaste kiss, and parted ways as they'd done so many times before. And the weeks proceeded on as normal, until the launch of Splatfest.

Jinx grew up in a quiet little coastal town called Barnacle Bay, with her father and her six siblings. She was the second-oldest, which meant most of her free time was dedicated to watching her younger siblings when their dad had to work late - she never complained about it.

The realization hit her in the very first match of the Splatfest, that growing up with only _younger _siblings had been ridiculously beneficial to her battle style. She was quick, ducking and dipping in and out of ink, her aim honed by her time in Octo Valley. Even better, no one could sneak up on her. With the tiniest drop of ink into the puddles around her she could turn, lightning-fast, and splat before she was splatted.

Granted, she still wound up back at the spawn point on more than one occasion. She wasn't perfect and snipers were always her Achille's Heel. The added challenge inspired her to keep going, and as more and more rounds passed she found she was really and truly enjoying herself. A couple of her teammates even caught up with her after matches, all bright smiles and excited talk about it.

"That was so fresh, how you did that side-step thing right when the charger was about to splat you!" One inkling boy with bright eyes hopped from foot to foot, beaming at Jinx.

A smaller girl with her tentacles tied up in a top bow nodded enthusiastically. "How did you even see him coming?"

And Jinx, completely lost on the topic of making new friends, laughed sheepishly and shrugged. "Five baby squidlings," she confessed. "You learn to grow eyes in the back of your head, I guess!"

Match after match, with break times for snacks. The first twelve hours of the Splatfest seemed to fly by, and any worries she'd harbored at the start went with the time. She met up with Callie and Marie for an early dinner in their downtime, limited by their performances in the Plaza, hugged Callie tight and kissed Marie square on the mouth in her excitement.

She kissed Marie, in the middle of the crowded Plaza.

She didn't think about it. She felt Marie smile against her mouth and kiss her back, and she didn't think about it. Only when Callie giggled and the music died down a little did she realize what she'd done.

"Oh wow," the pink-toned inkling stifled behind her hand, a grin spread wide across her face.

Hands still holding Marie's face between them, Jinx's eyes went wide as she pulled away. She felt… many eyes on them. On _her _. Very slowly, she turned her head to face the crowd of inklings who were watching very intently.

Marie waited a moment, feeling the seconds drag on slower than ever as she caught one of her girlfriend's retreating hands. "Now, hold on-" She started.

She was interrupted by a cacophony of cheers, whooping and hollering from the crowd around them. Everyone, absolutely _everyone _was clapping and chorusing, a burst of positivity that washed over the whole Plaza.

Some were congratulating them, some were pointing and yelling "That's her, that's Marie's girlfriend!" over the noise. And through it all, Jinx could feel her hearts pounding hard.

"What- what just happened?" Brown eyes turned back to Marie, still wide with shock.

Marie laughed, shaking her head a tiny bit. "I think you're a hit," she said simply, leaning back in and kissing Jinx's forehead. "Now go kick my team's ass."

…

**Notes: **I dunno, I just can't see any true fans of Marie being upset with her being happy. There's enough drama here without the added bonus of 'everyone hates Agent 3 because she's with Marie.'

Besides, fluff is good for the soul.


	11. Chapter 11

**Note: **Whoever said you can't run away from your problems never met Agent 3.

Sorry for the long wait! I'm cross-posting this fic so I'm getting it out on the other platform first. Enjoy! -_Rove_

**Chapter 11**

_The hallways are dark. The hallways are always dark, she's used to that - what's different about it this time, are the red lights that flash rhythmically alongside the blaring of an alarm. Everyone knows what that means, but she's only heard horror stories of it - nothing ever actually happened! Years of drills should have left her prepared, but she's panicking as she runs. Her chest heaves and burns with the exertion, boots skidding across the metal floor when she takes a turn too sharply and has to brace her palm against the opposite wall._

_She uses it as leverage to vault herself down the next hallway._

_The wailing of the sirens drowns out things like her harsh breathing, but she can't ignore the terrified shrieking echoing against the walls. She has to get out, she has to get to the main chamber, she'll be safe there- everyone will be safe there. No one else but them know about that place. There's a way out of the city there, and if she can just reach the elevator…_

_She turns to look over her shoulder. Just for a moment, just a breath. _

_It's the worst mistake she's ever made._

_Something shoves her back before she can look forward again. Something that ran into her. She hits the ground hard, staggering and nearly twisting her ankle but her back hits the floor and knocks the wind out of her. Dazed, she sits up, shakes her head, and tries to focus through the fear clouding her mind. _

_When she looks up, icy dread settles in the pit of her stomach and her eyes well up with tears. She stares pleadingly up at a dark-skinned inkling in dark clothes and a reflective vest, glowing headphones over bright violet tentacles, pointing the barrel of a modified splattershot directly into her face._

_And she cries. She can't help it, she's shaking and rooted to the spot._

_"Please," she begs, "please don't hurt me! Please leave me alone, I promise I won't tell anyone-"_

_The inkling doesn't hear her, or she doesn't understand her. There's no recognition on their face. Just anger, just hatred. Disgust. _

_"Talk all you want, but it won't save you now," _

_And with horror, she realizes it's _her own voice _coming back to her from the stranger's mouth._

_The inkling lifts the barrel and the safety clicks off. _

_She squeezes her eyes shut tightly and holds her breath._

Jinx shot up straight, jolted awake and shaking so violently that she could hear her teeth clicking together. Her stomach lurched and she immediately rolled out of bed, her body still heavy with sleep and her legs giving out on her once her bare toes hit the floor. She pushed up and tripped at least twice more before she was finally able to make it to the bathroom, just in time to fall to her knees and vomit into the toilet.

Forehead tacky with sweat and chest burning with every breath she took, she held her upper body up and all-but hugged the porcelain. Her first coherent thought as the terror ebbed away and left her feeling wobbly and exhausted, was how glad she was Marie hadn't been there. Throwing up on her girlfriend was near the bottom of her list of things she felt like doing.

The inkling wasn't sure how long she sat there in the bathroom, on the cold tile floor. Long enough for her breathing to even out, still too loud in the silence of the apartment. Long enough for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, enough to make out the vague shapes of the familiar room.

Long enough for flashes of the nightmare to replay through her mind, over and over again until she felt her stomach churn dangerously. She braced herself against the toilet, ready for another wave if she had to be.

What… _was _that? Jinx forced herself to draw in deep, slow breaths through her nose, digging through the last dredges of panic to find meaning in the dream.

There was nowhere she had ever been in her life that looked even remotely like the hallways she was running through. The voice she'd spoken with wasn't hers. But the one that responded...the inkling that had-threatened her, that was absolutely her. The face was hers. The Hero Shot was hers. Those were her eyes, glaring disgust down at her.

While she wandered through the possibilities, DJ Octavio's voice echoed unbidden in the back of her mind.

_"Don't ya think my people deserve to live in peace, too? Without a buncha bratty inklings comin' in ta destroy their homes?"_

She tried piecing it together, but her brain wouldn't make the connection. The parts were there. The truth lay within arm's reach, at the tips of her fingers, but she just couldn't grab it. It made her head throb to even consider it.

Finally leaning back against the wall, Jinx pulled her knees up to her chest. Her shoulders still shaking. Cod, she wished like nothing else that she wasn't _alone _, but by the same token it was probably for the better. The swell of emotions held captive inside of her pushed against her well-kept dam until it burst, overflowing as the first sob wrenched out of her.

There was nothing else she could do. She sat on the bathroom floor, hugging her knees and sobbing uncontrollably for a world she had nearly destroyed.

On the final day of Splatfest, Jinx was nowhere to be found.

From the moment Marie woke up, her girlfriend had been missing. Granted, she'd come home very late that evening and slept in as much as she could, but Jinx didn't leave the bed as a general rule until she did. They'd established what a cuddler she was.

Instead, a note rested on the pillow beside the older girl, one she scanned with sleep-clouded amber eyes.

_'Morning jog to warm up. Be home soon! -Jinx' _

A small heart drawn on the page beside her name.

Much as she may have wanted to, Marie didn't have time to dwell on it. There was breakfast, dressing, news segments, performances - all of it took priority right then. It was just for Splatfest. This was the last time work would completely take over her lifestyle, and then she'd take Jinx out on a stupidly over-the-top dinner date to make up for the distance that had been slowly forming between them in the madness.

It was nothing that couldn't be fixed. That much, she was sure of.

"Morning, Grandma!" Callie shouted cheerfully when she stepped out into the living room. The bubbly inkling poked her head out from the bathroom, half-dressed and working some stiffness out of her tentacles so she could properly tie them back. "You ready to get your butt handed to you today?"

No sign of the worries that had been troubling her, at least not in her voice.

Marie rolled her eyes playfully, poking her cousin's nose in passing. "We'll just see who gets whooped when we count the scores tomorrow," she teased back. Then, as nonchalantly as she could manage: "You haven't seen Jinx this morning, have you?"

Callie's smile faltered and she hummed, retreating back into the bathroom to finish up her routine. "No, I haven't! I think I heard her slip out earlier, but I was too zonked to check the clock," she said. "Shoot her a text, she definitely has her phone on her!"

Her knee-jerk reaction was to claim she didn't have time. Any other day, she may have. But after last night in the Plaza, despite the encouraging words from the plethora of inklings that supported their relationship, Jinx had dismissed herself and they hadn't seen each other (awake) since then. Marie wasn't worried. She just felt… uneasy.

Huffing softly, she ducked back into her room and grabbed her phone from the night stand.

[marie]: When will you be back?

That seemed too abrupt. For good measure, she added one more.

[marie]: Good morning btw. Make sure you eat breakfast.

There. That should be enough for now. And she most certainly was not going to anxiously wait for the response - instead, Marie busied herself getting ready for the ridiculously heinous day that it was sure to be.

Everything was fine. She was just reading too much into a tiny nagging feeling. She'd spent too much time around Callie.

For the first time since they'd met, Jinx had told Marie a lie.

She wasn't coming back. At least, not soon. As soon as the first light leaked through their bedroom window, she had snuck out. Stopping only briefly to snag that pale green hoodie from the closet, of course - she needed something to keep her grounded while she was gone. She could slide it on, pull the sleeve cuff over her palm, press her nose against it and breathe in Marie's scent.

Who said dreams didn't come true?

All jokes aside, Jinx took a backpack with just a few essentials and caught the first train to Barnacle Bay. It was a heck of a trip, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't need to get as far away from Inkopolis as possible. With a smile plastered over her exhausted features, she tugged her phone out of her pocket and prepared for the 3-hour trip.

Jinx watched the city slowly disappear around her as the train sped forward, phone resting in her palms on her lap. She watched as buildings gave way to trees and countryside, stretching back all the way to a distant shore that was calling her name. Home. Her siblings. A place where she was not - _couldn't _be - Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, where she was just Jinx.

It was kind of bittersweet.

The ride consisted mostly of alternating between zoning out and scrolling through her social media. The text from Marie was a pleasant surprise, though the warmth in her gut was quickly soured by guilt. She could tell the truth about where she was going and why, but at what cost? As far as both of the Squid Sisters knew, Octo Valley was behind them. Jinx didn't think about it anymore, didn't worry about it.

The timing of the nightmare, on top of concern surrounding the outcome of the Splatfest, just set her down a path of panic that she couldn't shake as long as she was in the city.

She just imagined that Marie would sigh, roll her eyes, and scold her for not being able to let it go. So, she kept quiet about it.

[jinx]: hey! i had breakfast

[jinx]: got a call from my brother mid-jog. Turns out i need to visit home today, i'm really sorry for the short notice :(

[jinx]: i'll try to be home for closing ceremony ok?

As much as the idea of telling the truth bothered her, lying to Marie made her skin feel too tight and uncomfortable. It was only a tiny fib, but she'd done her best to be nothing but honest since day one, so she knew her girlfriend would believe her. Shoving her phone under her thigh, she propped her cheek up against her palm against the windowsill and took a shaky breath.

At least the scenery was pretty.

In the Plaza, the festivities kept the Squid Sisters distracted just as they expected. They performed, danced and sang, reveled in the thrill of raising everyone's spirits together and keeping the party going. The hours passed swiftly for most, but during much-needed breaks Marie couldn't help but check her phone every few minutes. They had retreated to the studio for some peace and quiet, barely hearing the bass pumping outside of the windows.

Callie gave her a sympathetic smile. Much as her cousin could try to deny it, she could see right through the aloof facade to the concern hiding beneath.

"She's fine," she assured, reaching across the table to pat Marie's arm. "Where did you say she lived?"

"Barnacle Bay," Marie said distantly, eyes still glued to her phone where Jinx's last message practically mocked her. Four hours ago.

Callie whistled. "That's like a three hour trip. And you said she's got a big family, right? I'm sure she's just distracted!"

Logically, Marie knew she was right. She didn't know why she was so worried, they'd gone longer without checking in - recently, even. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on, something she wasn't being told. Frustrated with her circular thoughts, she shook her head and set her phone down on the table.

"You're right," she relented.

Ridiculously though, she still wished Jinx had stuck around to at least kiss her goodbye.

What a fool love was making of her.


End file.
